My Review of Maleny Botanic Gardens & Bird World!

When searching for things to do in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, a review of the Maleny Botanic Gardens & Birdworld could be handy to read. Tucked away near the Glass House Mountains, it’s often described as a peaceful escape filled with landscaped gardens and bird encounters, but is it really worth the visit?

Problems arise when you start questioning the cost, how much time you need and whether it suits your group. Add in if the bird experience is ethical and how close do you actually get to them.

Having visited the gardens myself, this review is based on first-hand experience rather than brochure hype. This guide will help you decide if Maleny Botanic Gardens & Birdworld belongs on your itinerary, along with practical tips to make the most of your visit.

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission. Please read my disclaimer, T&C’s & privacy policy here.

Overall Review: Maleny Botanic Gardens & Birdworld!

As long-time locals to South East Queensland, Matt and I enjoyed a very positive experience at Maleny Birdworld. The price was comparable for your enjoyment, but, I also loved the personal bird interactions with the Macaws, Cockatoo’s and the Indian ring-necked Parakeet.

With that said, I honestly prefer to see wild animals in the wild. Although, I thought this was a nice medium where the birds still fly around on their own and only interact when they want!

➡  Book your Birdworld Tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator

Therefore, I would recommend it for any first-time visitors to the region, particularly for the Birdworld Avery tour. The other sections of this facility are an added bonus, but, I will explain more about this difference for you below!

This is just one of the many attractions of Maleny and you can visit the area for so much more. However, If you don’t want to read the post, you can just click the picture for my YouTube Video below, and watch instead.

How much does it cost?

Ticket prices start from $22 per Adult, but please note this is only for the Botanic Gardens and the Farm Friends. I definitely think it’s worth the extra amount to book the guided Bird Avery Tours, which starts at $45 per Adult.

➡  Book your Birdworld Tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator

The good news is that these higher-cost tickets include all three sections of the establishment and allow you to spend extra time there.

They also have family Pass and Annual Tickets, to help save you money!

Where is the facility?

Maleny Birdworld is located a short 10 minutes outside the small Sunshine Coast hinterland town of Maleny. However, if you’re coming from coastal areas like Caloundra, Mooloolaba or Noosa, it will take about 45 minutes to just over an hour to get there.

It’s easy to drive there along fully sealed roads, so it’s accessible with a standard two-wheel drive vehicle. But the roads, as such, have lots of twists and turns, and you will be driving a bit slower than the regular highway.

There is also plenty of Free car parking outside!

Do you need help planning your trip to Queensland? Book a one-on-one consultation call with me, to get your questions answered & personalised help!

How much time do you need?

The actual Bird Avery tour takes 50 minutes to complete, or an hour when you consider the wait time. However, overall, we managed the entire facility in about 2 to 2.5 hours, with the extra time wandering around the gardens and seeing the farm animals.

Although, I’m expecting the farm friends section to be a big hit for the kids and some families might want to allocate more time there. However, just know that the entire facility includes:

• the Birdworld Avery (Guided Tour)
• Botanic Gardens
• and what they call the Farm Friends section.

The Botanic Gardens felt a bit lifeless for us, but we also visited around May (coming into Winter), and the experience could change with a different season. It was because of this, we essentially only wandered through the gardens, when going to and from the Farm Friends exhibit.

However, this entire facility is open from 9am to 430 pm daily, so it’s easy to plan the whole day trip through the hinterland areas (more suggestions below on what to see).

Things to See & Do there?

The Bird Avery Guided Tour

The 1 hour Bird Avery tour has a wide variety of birds to see, including parrots, peacocks, cockatoos, Doves, Canary, finches, pigeons, and, of course, the infamous macaws that are the crowd’s favourites.

They separated species into 4 different Averys, and the guide will lead the group into each area, telling you about the birds along the way. There is a lot of information being given at this time, and they are also quite open to questions and very knowledgeable.

➡  Book your Birdworld Tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator

Did you know that Macaws can live in the wild between 50 to 60 years old? They are also the largest parrot!

Parrots are also known for their intelligence and can use tools like sticks, to dig up insects. But, what I love the most is how they can mimic speech and simulate talking to you! (also cute with their chirpy sounds….)

Surprisingly, there are over 600 native and exotic birds here from around the world. There are some that will fly onto you straight away, like this one on Matt, and others will hang back and keep their distance.

More so, plenty of their Birds are food-motivated and stalk the guide to get some treats. Otherwise, seeds are always left in their food trays, and they are always flying around. I even had this cute little bird trying to nibble on my toes for some reason, and another one tried to get pretty comfy on my foot.

At this point, I’ll probably stress the importance of always watching where you’re walking!

Good news for those that don’t want the birds to fly on you – They will provide feather dusters for you to hold up, and the birds know to stay away.

The Farm Friends Exhibit

The Farm Friends section includes regular farm animals such as rabbits, guinea pigs, goats, chickens, sheep and even a donkey. The goats were probably the most active, funny to watch jumping around on the logs and always wanted to be near you.

But keep an eye on your kids in this section, as some of the animals can be a bit eager to get your attention and easily push you around.

The Botanic Gardens Exhibit

The Botanic Gardens were a decent size and made it even better to overlook the beautiful glass house mountains. They contain roses, orchids, and azaleas; I even wandered through some Bamboo and a fairy garden.

As mentioned before, we didn’t explore this area too much, but with a bit more colour in the right season, it could definitely enhance your experience. You can even use it as a picnic spot to laze on the grass for a light snack, or just relax while listening to the small waterfall.

Facilities & Dining

There was a small shop and café out the front where you check in or buy your tickets. We did grab a sandwich here for lunch (and obviously a magnet for my collection), but it’s not the biggest place for a lot of variety. Therefore, If you have any special dietary requirements, then you can always bring a packed lunch for the day!

As a bonus, don’t miss the few birds you can see just near the café. I found one of these to be especially cute, singing “Old Macdonald Had a Farm”.

FAQ’s – Common Questions

Do you need to purchase the Tour?

If you want to see the Bird Avery, then yes, you will need to book a tour at a specific time. These are run almost every hour between 10am and 3pm, with more sessions on weekends and holidays. It’s best to check their website for times, after you lock in the date.

➡  Book your Birdworld Tickets HERE with GYG, or HERE with Viator

But the Farm Animals and Botanic Gardens are self-guided, and you can see as little or use as much time as you like around these areas.

We weren’t visiting at a busy time, so we paid for it when we arrived, but expecting this isn’t always going to be the case, and you should book online earlier in busy times.

Is it easy to walk around?

I wouldn’t say the paths are too hard to walk around, but you will have walked a couple of kilometres by the time you have seen it all. If you have accessibility issues, then there are golf buggies starting at $45 available to hire.

Please note that these Buggies will only get you outside of the farm friends and Bird Avery sections, as well as some areas of the Botanic Gardens. Ultimately, they will NOT be used inside the Avery and the grassed areas of the gardens.

You also need to be aware there is a weight limit (400kg for the 6 seater) in getting up the pathways. So, unless you have a couple of kids in your group, you may not make it back and forth from the Farm friends section.

Additionally, heavy Wheelchairs might be more challenging to move around, especially in the grassed or gravel spots and steep roads.

What should you wear?

You can wear whatever is comfortable and light clothing, but I would recommend a small sleeve at least. The birds do have sharp claws and can scratch when flying on or off your shoulders.

You will be outside, so a hat and sunscreen is essential. But, if your hat or cap has a button on top, they will ask you to remove it as the birds like to nibble on these. Same with earrings, and any jewellery will need to be removed also.

More importantly, wear comfortable walking shoes, which include thongs if you’re used to them. There can be quite a bit of walking involved between the different sections.

Can you visit in the rain?

While there are some brief sections that are covered – I wouldn’t expect this to be a very enjoyable experience in the rain, and it’s not a time I would personally visit.

If you have pre-booked, then the Bird tours do still run at this time though and on the plus side, expect the tourist numbers to be low during the rain. However, If there is lightning around, they will close the Bird Avery Down.

Other things to do nearby!

There are plenty of things to see within a short distance of the Sunshine Coast. While Birdworld won’t take an entire day, just some of the other suggestions nearby would be:

• Kondalilla Falls Hike & Swimming
• Swimming at Gardner Falls
• Read my Australia Zoo Review for worldwide animals & the largest park in SE Qld.
• Mary Caincross Scenic Reserve (See a Pademelon)
• The small town of Montville for eclectic shops and local eateries.

Otherwise, You can find more animals or wildlife in other parks like the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane, or Currumbin Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast

Wrap up!

If you’re looking for a unique animal experience while visiting the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, then Maleny Botanic Gardens & Birdworld is definitely worth considering (especially if it’s your first time in the area). But if you want to check out more activities in the area, then please click here for my Sunshine Coast Articles for planning and inspiration.

• Gold Coast Vs Sunshine Coast – Which is better for you to visit?
• Exposing the Downsides to a Great Barrier Reef Pontoon Tour
• Tips to know BEFORE planning a Queensland Road Trip
• Best Place to Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef
• Things to see on a Brisbane to Cairns Road trip
• Sydney to Brisbane Road Trip Stops & Itinerary